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Spiced, cider roasted wild duck with apple

During the game season and winter festivities wild duck can be bought quite cheaply at farmers markets. They are small and lean - perfect for a meal for 2, but for a dinner party or family meal you’ll need more than one bird! This  spiced, cider roasted wild duck with apple is slow-cooked so it’s tender and flavoursome  -  ideal for Christmas lunch or special dinners over the winter holidays. Serve it with side dishes of your choice - I served it with port braised red cabbage, roasted potatoes and maple roasted parsnips.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Resting Time 4 hours
Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 2 people
Cuisine: Mid&East European
Calories: 1234
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Whole Wild Duck approx. 700g
  • Approx 20 Thyme Threads
  • 2-3 apples
  • 2 onions
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 4 star anise
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 glass apple cider
  • salt
  • olive oil

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
  2. Wash the duck with cold water and then pat- dry with kitchen paper. Remove any remaining feathers with a tweezer. Season with the salt and freshly ground black pepper inside and out, then put most of the thyme in the cavity together with 1 star anise and 1 cinnamon stick.
  3. Wash the apples, cut them into 4 wedges and remove the core. Peel the onions and cut them into wedges.
  4. Put the wild duck (chest facing downwards) in a greased baking dish. Scatter the onion and apple pieces around it, then add the cinnamon (torn into pieces) and the star anise. Drizzle everything with olive oil, then pour in the cider. Cover the dish with foil.
  5. Turn the oven down to 160°C and bake the duck for 90 minutes in the middle of the oven. After about 45 minutes turn over the duck.
  6. After 90 minutes take off the foil, turn up the heat a bit and bake until the skin is golden and crispy.
  7. Let it rest for 10 minutes before carving, then serve with the apple and onion, drizzled with the cooking jus.